Railway axle journal lubricator



March 18,1958 J. J. HENNESSY 2,82?,341

I RAILWAY AXLE JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Filed Jan. 19, 1955 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 18,1958 J, HENNESSY 2,827,341

RAILWAY AXLE JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Filed Jan. 19, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a W 9 LL m 2,827,341 Ice Patented Mar. 18, 1958 RAILWAY AXLE JOURNAL LUBRICATOR James J. Hennessy, Chambersburg, Pa., assignor to Hennessy Lubricator Company, Inc., Chamhershurg, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application January 19, 1955, Serial No. 482,774

8 Claims. (Cl. 308-84) The invention relates to railway axle journal lubricators of the general type described in Patent No. 2,660,- 489, issued to the present inventor November 24, 1953 and embodying a pump and distributor assembly positioned in a journal box by an engagement of one part of the pump framing with the rear wall of the box and the engagement of another part of the pump framing with the top wall of the box.

The main object of the present invention is to simplify the structure and reduce the cost of the pump positioning device of such a lubricator; to avoid obstruction of access to the box when a workman is adding lubricant; and to facilitate insertion of the lubricator assembly into the box under the journal and its removal therefrom.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railway axle journal, bearing, wedge, box, and lubricator, the box being sectioned vertically to better show the parts.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the box and a top view of the lubricator pump and positioning device, the journal and lubricant distributor being indicated in dot and dash lines.

Figure 3 is a detail section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and showing a holding clip secured to the box bottom wall.

The structure illustrated includes a box of the familiar American Association of Railroads (A. A. R.) type having a bottom wall 1, side walls 2, a top wall 3, an inside rear wall 4, and an outside rear Wall 5. The axle 6 includes a journal 7 having a collar 8 and carries a bearing 9 which, in turn, supports a wedge 19 on which the box is mounted in the usual manner.

The lubricator includes a distributor 11 having a pad 12 applied to the underface of the journal. The lubricator is supported from the bottom of a box by a frame of spring wire including a lower section 13 with upwardly inclined arms 14 united by several coils 15. The outer end of each arm 14 is coiled about a rod 16 which supports the lower member 11 of the distributor. A frame shaft 17 extends transversely of the box and wire section 13 and has its terminals 17a inclined rearwardly.

A rod 18 is pivotally mounted on each terminal of shaft 17 and extends diagonally of the length of the frame and box and terminates at its swinging outer end in a handle 19 provided with a substantially upright shoulder or stop 19a. A coil spring 29 surrounds rod 18 and is seated against a boss at the inner end of the rod and thrusts against an upright washer-like follower 21 which is slidable on rod 13 and has a convex face 22 facing away from the end of spring 29.

Welded or otherwise secured to box bottom wall 1 near the points best indicated in Figure 2 are angular brackets each comprising a base flange 25 welded or riveted to wall 1 and an upstanding flange 26 with a slot 27 forming spaced legs 26a between which rod 18 may be inserted by movement transversely of its length. The upper ends of ch pair of legs 26a are turned inwardly to engage the l; V V

upper edge of the associated follower 2.1 and frictionally resist its upward movement.

When the lubricator is inserted beneath the journal to the position shown, the right hand end 13a of frame section 13 abuts the box rear wall 4. The operator then moves rods 18 downward and presses followers 21, which have been seated against stops 19a, inwardly of the box against the thrust of springs 20 so that the followers will pass downwardly at the rear of legs 26a to the position shown in Figure l. The followers are then released and are seated against the inner faces of legs 26a and the lubricator is positioned in place lengthwise of the box. Due to the inclination of rods 18, springs 20 thrust the lubricator towards the longitudinal center line of the box, but such thrust yields to movements of the journal so that the lubricator will be centered with the journal as it moves transversely of the box, irrespective of whether the journal is aligned with the center line of the box.

It will be understood that the lubricator includes a collapsible pump body 30 positioned between the underside of distributor 11, 12 and a paddle-like member 31 pivoted on shaft 17 and associated with the lower arm,

32 of a bell crank lever, also pivoted on shaft 17, having an outwardly and upwardly extending arm 33, terminating in a contact 34 disposed to engage the outer face of journal collar 8 so that the pump lever and pump are 1. In a railway axle journal lubricator, an elongatedframe adapted to seat upon the bottom wall of a journal box, a shaft mounted on and extending transversely of the length of the frame, a support part inclined upwardly from said shaft, a lubricant distributor carried by said part, a pump beneath and supplying lubricant to said distributor, a pump-operating lever fulcrumed on the on the shaft and having an arm operatively associated with the pump and another arm extending upwardlyj be;

yond one end of the distributor, a positioning device comprising elongated members extending substantially horizontally and transversely of the shaft in opposite directions therefrom and having stop engageable terminals, said terminals normally being in the same general horizontal plane as said members, at least one of said member terminals yielding lengthwise of the member to facilitate positioning the lubricator between opposing stops therefor on the journal box.

2. in a railway axle journal lubricator, a distributor extending horizontally for application to the underside of a journal, a frame comprising a shaft extending below the pad and transversely of the length of the distributor and adapted to rest upon the bottom of a journal box, parts extending upwardly from said frame and supporting the distributor thereon, structure extending substantially horizontally in one direction from said shaft and having a terminal disposed to engage a box end wall, an elongated element pivoted to said shaft at each end thereof to swing vertically and extending in the opposite direction and terminating in an annular shoulder facing to wards the shaft, a follower movable lengthwise of each element, and a spring associated with said follower and compressed between the same and said shaft to thrust the follower towards said shoulder.

3. In a railway journal axle lubricator, a distributor extending horizontally for application to the underside of a journal, a frame including a shaft extending transverseconstruction may be varied sub-- ly of'the length of the distributor and adapted to rest upon the bottomof a journal -box,--meanssupporting the distributor from said frame and shaft, structure extending substantially horizontallyfrom said shaft in one direction beyond the end 'off the distri b uto1f mined at its outer end for engaging a journal" box uprighthoriend wanga rod-like memberfextendin substantial y zonta'lly -inthe opposite direction from said shaftfand terminating in a finger en'gageable' element spaced outwardlyfrom the end of" the-distributor, said rod like' memberhaving'a shoulders'paeed from and facing the shaft, a collar slidable on said ma;- acoil spring sur-- rounding said-rod and 'seated at one enda gainstsaid shaft and at its other 'endagainsfthe collar=- and compressedto thrust the "collar along the rodtoward said shoulder;

'4." In a railwayaxle' journal lubricatorg'a frame member adapted to' rest upon the bottom of aijournal boxrin which the lubri'cator contained, an elongated lubricant distributor pad with a concave upper face for application to the underside-of a jonrnalfmeans support ing said'pad from said frame member, a pump depending from the pad and operable for elevating lubricantto the pad, structure 'on the frame member extending substantially horizontally in opposite directions from the-frame member and lengthwise of the pad and beyond the ends' thereof and having outwardly facing elements near their outer ends spaced'beyond the ends of the pad and yield-' able lengthwise of the members to engage opposing structure on the bottom of the'containing box and thereby position the lubricator lengthwise of 'the'boxr 5. In combination with a railway axle'journal and a bearing carried'thereby and a journal box'mounted onthe bearing, the box having a'botto'm wall; an upright rear wall and an upstanding structure near tlie front of the bottom wall, a Iubric'ator for "elevatingoilfrom the lower portion'of the box to the journal and comprising a.

part seated on the box bottom fwall'beneath the forward end of the journal, a distributor mounted on said partan'dengaging the journal, a pump movably mounted on said part and having a discharge leading'to the distributor, and

means for positioning said part', distributor and pump in the box comprising amember extending from'said part, withits outer end seated against the box rear wall, and elements spaced transversely of-the box and extending from said part toward'the front of the'box, and abutting said structure. r

6. In combination-with a railway axle journal and a bearing carried thereby' anda---journalbox mounted on j 2,827.341 r V e the bearing, the box having a bottom wall, an upright rear walland an upstanding structure near the front of the bottom wall, a lubricator for elevating oil from the lower portion of the box to the journal and comprising a part part and having a discharge leadingto the distributor,

i and means for positioning said 'part,"di'stributora1'1dpump in the box-comprising a wire-like member pivoted to said part and extending rearwardly therefrom and engaging the rear wall of the box,and a pair ofielongated 7, members pivotedtto saidv part. and extending forwardly therefromnnd divergi g forwardly and enga ing said.

structure. 7 t l t t 7. A combination according to claim 6 in which the members forming the positioning means yield length- 7 wise of the box to accommodate variations in dimensions and insure a "fit of the mean between the box rear wall and the abutment structure onthe bottom wall.

'8; In combination-with a railway axle" journal b'ox having an upright rear Wall"and' a bottom walli extending therefrom and terminating inan upturned front portion forming the lower edge 'ofan opening in the box for the introduction of lubricant and lubricant distributing means; a lubricator, for elevating oil from the lower portion of the boxrto a journalin the :box; comprising a part seated on said bottomwall'between said upright rear walland' the upturned front portion of "said'bottomfwall, a: dis tributor supported from-said part above said bottom Wall and having upper face arranged for engaging a'journal in the box, a pump movably' mounted on said'part t and having a di schar'ge' leading to said distributor, an

elongated member extending from said part beneath. said distributor "with its: remote end "engaging the box"'rear wall; and a'pair of elongated rnembers' pivoted to said part and extending int'he' opposite directiomt'herefrom side lbyside with outwardly thrust yielding terminals low'said opening lower edge, there 'bei'n'gIstop structure onsaid bottom 'wall'below said openirig lower edge -eii-' terminals to position thelubri'catoriri'the gaged by said box. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED "STATES PATENTS 2,660,489 Hennessy Nov. 24, 1953 

